There Will ALWAYS Be More To Do

July 21, 2014 By Scott "Q" Marcus

No matter how efficient you are, there will always be more to do.

A major difference between people who are proficient at time management and those who are not is that those who are good at it realize that they will never get everything accomplished – and they’ve come to accept that.

Because of that realization, effective time-managers have learned to let go of as much of the “small stuff” as possible.

If you’re overwhelmed with everything you have to do, invoke the “Five Year Rule.”

Ask yourself, “Will anyone know or care about this five years from now?” If the answer is “no,” let it go. If the answer is “yes,” get to work on it.

The vast majority of tasks fall in the “it’s not that important” category, giving you more time to focus on what really matters.

Remember What Matters

May 26, 2014 By Scott "Q" Marcus

Make sure your priorities stay top-of-mind.

Not everything is equally important.

One of the main reasons we don’t move forward is we forget that we cannot do everything all the time. We stress ourselves out thinking of how much we have to do. We then get overloaded and shut down.

Take time to remember what really matters by using the “Five Year Rule.”

As yourself if anyone will really know or care about this event five years from now.

If the answer is “No,” let it go. Get to it when you can – if you want to.
If the answer is “Yes,” it’s important. Take care of it as soon as you can. Then take a moment for yourself.

Do not mistake activity for accomplishment.

Dealing with Complainers

October 16, 2013 By Scott "Q" Marcus

They are numerous, ever-present, ubiquitous; present at work, parties, and even family gatherings.

If attitude is indeed contagious, they are the Ebola virus of a positive outlook. Bringing their own “gloomy sunshine” wherever they go, they leave behind a trail of mental and emotional destruction wider than a hurricane’s wake. Should we discover the cure to all illnesses tomorrow, they would protest that it put the doctors out of business.

We can tell they’re nearby, even before they open their mouths. Dour expressions firmly etched into grim-faced expressions and unconstrained bitterness dripping from their souls, they pummel, pound, and persist until they reveal the dark cloud behind any silver lining. Even after short encounters with these denizens of dourness, their dark energy can drain the happiness from even the most upbeat individual. They are Eyore to our Tigger, Ying to our Yang, frowns to our smiles; they are (insert ominous music…) the “bearers of badatude.”

Whether it’s due to the state of the world, the change in seasons, or just bad luck, they do seem to have multiplied lately. (Maybe it’s their mating season?) For whatever the reason, it seems more difficult to avoid them than it used to be.

Ever the helper — and in the interest of public service and a better community attitude — I offer a few suggestions on how to deal with complainers.

Rule One: Understand that when a freight train is roaring down the tracks at you, GET OUT OF THE FREAKIN’ WAY! Do not plant yourself firmly, attempting to block its path, expecting to convince it to take the switch. Instead, realize that batatude folks are better about plowing you over and dragging your formerly upbeat demeanor into a negative mood than you will ever be at changing their direction. They are professionals; having honed the dark art to a fine talent, they inflict bad attitude among even the most optimistic individuals. You — on the other hand — pale in experience when it comes to turning it around. It’s not a fair competition; don’t even try. You will lose. Move elsewhere; if not physically, then certainly to the happy place in your head.

Having not been able to circumnavigate Mister Miserable, the next step is to put it in perspective by employing the “Five Year Rule.”

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